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I found this press article from early 1895 of interest on account of the sheer volume of errors it contains
I am posting this not to demonise Dr Black in particular but more to illustrate how quickly (within 7 years after the murders) a plethora of errors could become incorporated into the account of the murders
I have not yet checked all the details of the later murders mentioned by Black so do not know if the level of accuracy in his reporting of these is analagous to his account of the Whitechapel murders themselves.
Chris
Hampshire Telegraph and Sussex Chronicle
12 January 1895
THE WHITECHAPEL MURDERS
Dr D Campbell Black, Professor of Physiology in Anderson's College Medical School, Glasgow, writes an interesting letter to the Lancet on this subject.
"The Whitechapel brutalities and their consequences are as follows:-
On July 17th 1887 (sic), Alice Mackenzie, forty years of age, was found with her throat cut and her abdomen incised up to the umbilicus. On April 3rd 1888, Emma Smith was violated and killed by a band of men comprising 'Jack the Ripper.' Martha Tabram, on August 7th, received thirty nine stabs. Ann Nichols, about September 4th, had her head separated from the trunk and the abdominal cavity opened throughout its entire length. On September 8th Annie Chapman had her head half severed from her body, her abdomen opened, her intestines drawn out of the body, and her heart and liver placed under her head for a pillow. Jane Mary Kelly, aged 22 years, had her head separated from the trunk, her nose and ears cut off, and her breasts removed. On Sept. 30th Eddowes was assassinated and the body mutilated. On the same date Elizabeth Stride had her throat cut, but there were no mutilations. On November 11th the liver and intestines of a female were torn out and placed on a table and the limbs carved by knife cuts. On December 26th a female was strangled with a cord. On September 10th, 1888, a female body was found with the head and arms wanting; it presented the usual mutilations and was enveloped in a sack. In February 1892 Francis Coleman, twenty five years of age, had her throat cut; and just the other day a mere boy in America 'rippered' two children of about the same age. After the London atrocities similar crimes were perpetrated all over the world. At Bradford an infant was found eviscerated in 1888 and the extremities and ears strewn round the trunk. In 1889 two murders with mutilation took place in Hamburg. In 1890 in Hamburg the mutilated body of a Sister of Charity was found in a sack. At Berne in December of the same year 'Jack the Ripper' again appeared. In 1891 at Liverpool an infant was cut up in morsels and thrown into one of the docks. At Brussels in July, 1891, an infant aged thirteen months was found eviscerated. In October of the same year at Berlin the eviscerated body of a female was found. Three days afterwards Vanbourg slew and mutilated Boutry in the Rue de Charenne; in November, at Madrid, a female body was found eviscerated and mutilated. In the month of July, 1892, Madame Leblau was cut into particles. Southampton, Glasgow, the United States, and Honduras contributed to this ghastly toll. Can any sane person believe that a fractional portion of these atrocities were the work of one individual? Is it not morally certain that were have here the influence of criminal contagion?"
I am posting this not to demonise Dr Black in particular but more to illustrate how quickly (within 7 years after the murders) a plethora of errors could become incorporated into the account of the murders
I have not yet checked all the details of the later murders mentioned by Black so do not know if the level of accuracy in his reporting of these is analagous to his account of the Whitechapel murders themselves.
Chris
Hampshire Telegraph and Sussex Chronicle
12 January 1895
THE WHITECHAPEL MURDERS
Dr D Campbell Black, Professor of Physiology in Anderson's College Medical School, Glasgow, writes an interesting letter to the Lancet on this subject.
"The Whitechapel brutalities and their consequences are as follows:-
On July 17th 1887 (sic), Alice Mackenzie, forty years of age, was found with her throat cut and her abdomen incised up to the umbilicus. On April 3rd 1888, Emma Smith was violated and killed by a band of men comprising 'Jack the Ripper.' Martha Tabram, on August 7th, received thirty nine stabs. Ann Nichols, about September 4th, had her head separated from the trunk and the abdominal cavity opened throughout its entire length. On September 8th Annie Chapman had her head half severed from her body, her abdomen opened, her intestines drawn out of the body, and her heart and liver placed under her head for a pillow. Jane Mary Kelly, aged 22 years, had her head separated from the trunk, her nose and ears cut off, and her breasts removed. On Sept. 30th Eddowes was assassinated and the body mutilated. On the same date Elizabeth Stride had her throat cut, but there were no mutilations. On November 11th the liver and intestines of a female were torn out and placed on a table and the limbs carved by knife cuts. On December 26th a female was strangled with a cord. On September 10th, 1888, a female body was found with the head and arms wanting; it presented the usual mutilations and was enveloped in a sack. In February 1892 Francis Coleman, twenty five years of age, had her throat cut; and just the other day a mere boy in America 'rippered' two children of about the same age. After the London atrocities similar crimes were perpetrated all over the world. At Bradford an infant was found eviscerated in 1888 and the extremities and ears strewn round the trunk. In 1889 two murders with mutilation took place in Hamburg. In 1890 in Hamburg the mutilated body of a Sister of Charity was found in a sack. At Berne in December of the same year 'Jack the Ripper' again appeared. In 1891 at Liverpool an infant was cut up in morsels and thrown into one of the docks. At Brussels in July, 1891, an infant aged thirteen months was found eviscerated. In October of the same year at Berlin the eviscerated body of a female was found. Three days afterwards Vanbourg slew and mutilated Boutry in the Rue de Charenne; in November, at Madrid, a female body was found eviscerated and mutilated. In the month of July, 1892, Madame Leblau was cut into particles. Southampton, Glasgow, the United States, and Honduras contributed to this ghastly toll. Can any sane person believe that a fractional portion of these atrocities were the work of one individual? Is it not morally certain that were have here the influence of criminal contagion?"
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